[COLOR="DarkRed"]Cool piece of history...and really, the price ain't that bad.

For a collector it'd be a decent find. But to use it as a playin' kit...I dunno, it'd need some work, no ? Particularly the bass drum, which would need to have the thru-lugs replaced with double tension single-point lugs (drumfoundry.com) so you can then tune the batter and res sides seperately.

Also, what would you do about the concert tom 10" ? Leave it, I guess, since finding matching lugs to make it a 2-headed tom would be near impossible...

Etc, etc.

But, it does look to be in decent shape, has the original hardware, too.... and it is pretty darn cute...Mallet Player2[/COLOR]

One word: WOW!

Very cool kit! With that documentation, it makes it even cooler!

I wouldn't change a thing about the kit. It must be fairly rare to find something like that in such unmolested condition. If you want double tension tuning, then buy a kit with that going for it already. To alter something like that would be a shame. I've never seen another kit like it! Collectible? You bet! Fair price? Yes. I think so.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]I agree, as a collector's item. But, again, how playable is that kit for contemporary purposes, y'know ???

Thing is with the single-point bass lugs, you may not need alter anything except actually just switching out the lugs, rods and claws. You can likely just use the existing drill holes that are in the shell, so no alterations would be required to the original.

Keep the original hardware in a safe place. Play it with the replacement hardware. If you ever wanna resell, just pop back on the originals.

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Jaye,

Well, yes, that's true, I suppose. But, with all the double-tension kits out there that are ready to go, it wouldn't make sense to try and turn this unique kit into something else. The fact is that, this type of kit simply isn't practical in terms of a player's, gigging kit. No argument, there. But it IS an unmolested and fairly unusual kit as-is.

The same thing holds true for a Ludwig Octa-Plus kit. They are not really practical by today's standards. Then again, the Octa-Plus is the one kit I used to stare at in the old catalogs and dream about riffing down that string of toms. So the value, to me, with kits like this, is other than for practical purposes. I already have kits for practical use. But I also like drums that may be considered impractical by present standards. I would LOVE to have an Octa-Plus in like-new condition. I've never seen one in a drum shop -only in pictures.

And that John Gray kit would be a, let's say, "lesser" example of the same thing -something that's very rare to find intact and in excellent condition.Burger Kin

[COLOR="DarkRed"]Indeed, it is rare to find one which seems to be sans after-factory ...."improvements".....[/COLOR]